It's a Tie
by Strike To Incinerate
Summary: [Kasumi Todoh and Iori Yagami][Oneshot][Sequel to Cheap Shot] The King of Fighters ring heats up as the Three Sacred Treasures face off against the reformed Women's Team... well, two of the fighters do, anyways. [Read and Review, please!]


_A/N: Alright, here it is... the sequel to 'Cheap Shot'. More random Kasumi/Iori goodness. In case you're wondering... this takes place TWO KOFs after XI... making it, like, 2009, or something. The KOF timeline is way screwy. Makes no sense. Half the characters have been in highschool for ten years (poor Kyo is the only one that gets picked on for it, though. That's not very fair!)._

_In any case, I don't own KOF, Kasumi Todoh, Iori Yagami, etc. in any way, shape or form. At all. It all belongs to SNKPlaymore, Falcoon, NeoGeo, etc. They own. Go them. Rich bastards. The only thing that belongs to me is my strange penchant for Kasumi/Iori oneshots. And I KNOW THAT I SHOULD BE WORKING ON 'A BRAND NEW KIND OF HELL' BUT I'M BUSY WITH WORK. I'm so sorry! I hope this tides you over until I can get around to finishing the next chapter. I've been working on it... a little bit..._

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**It's a Tie  
Another Kasumi Todoh/Iori Yagami oneshot by Strike To Incinerate**

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"Yagami-san!" The loud voice and pointing finger directed at him was not from Shingo Yabuki, the most annoying person to ever enter the King of Fighters Tournament (aside from any given member of the Psycho Soldier Team). In fact, it was from the opposite person; an extremely petite, barely-adult young woman with eyes as blue as the sea of Japan and a fighting spirit hot enough to rival the Yasakani flames. She was wearing a grin on her face, and a pendant around her neck. The sun reflected off of the large, oddly shaped jewel; it looked like half of a yin-yang sign, with a circle in the large top part and all, but it was carved out of jade.

This young woman was Kasumi Todoh, the one girl foolish enough to challenge Iori not once, but twice... and the second time, even he was confused as to why.

... Wait. Oh, yeah. She'd chosen her stupid girlfriends over him for a team, leaving him with slim pickings; Kyo, Shingo, Chizuru, K'... the usual losers. He was standing just outside the ring, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He had to fight the reformed Women's Team... Ugh. He wasn't going to get any sleep for weeks no matter the outcome of this match.

"Kasumi..." he took the cigarette and tossed it onto the grass, grinding it out with the toe of his boot. "You can call me 'Iori' during the tournament. You don't have to be formal."

Her face heated up, but she was persistent. "No, Yagami-san! I'm not going to favor you, just because you're my koibito!"

So that's why she was challenging him; she wasn't going to play 'favorites' and letting him fight King or that little annoyance, Marin, was 'playing favorites,' according to the odd workings of her mind... which, in the six months they'd been together, he still hadn't figured out, and probably never would. She kept things interesting, though.

He shrugged. "Fine... we'll play it your way," he agreed, stuffing one hand into his pocket. The referee called the match to a start as he began striding towards her, and she took her stance.

As Iori had quickly found out, despite her volumninous choice of attire during the KOF, she was the most petite female he'd ever seen. Half the time, he was afraid he might break her... he was easily twice her size, no doubt. However, her small stature would be her undoing, now that he was privy to it.

His arm shot out, and she tried to stop it. Speed wasn't her greatest strength, though, and he gripped the back of her aikido jacket, lifting her up in the same manner one did to an aggravating feline. She was light as a feather, barely a hundred pounds. Who'd have thought that Kasumi Todoh was the one female to make all others in the King of Fighters appear fat? He chuckled a bit as she flailed and tried to kick him. He leaned forward and pecked her cheek, teasing. He walked slowly, to further infuriate her, to the edge of the ring and deposited her just outside of it.

Iori was declared the winner of that round, and Kasumi stomped her foot on the grass, glaring at him.

"Cheater!" she declared.

Off to the side, King and Malin were sharing a bout of laughter. It would be the funniest loss in the King of Fighters history, and they were willing to take it. At Kasumi's expense, of course.

Iori grinned once more. "It was a ring out, _**koibito**_..." he mocked. "Or haven't you heard? All's fair in love in war...?"

She growled, and he stepped back, allowing her re-entry for the next round.

They exchanged a few blows; Iori was hesitant to strike at her, but she wasn't. In fact, she was gunning for him. She managed to grab his arm and land him flat on his back. She took hold of his wrist and hauled him back up... she was smaller and stronger than she appeared, or perhaps fighting her own lover gave her an adrenaline rush. What she did next earned her an 'Ooooh' from the surrounding audience and a cheer from her teammates; she pulled him into a searing kiss.

He was shocked at first, wondering exactly what she was up to... and he knew, in the next second. She had led him to the opposite edge of the ring, and just as he was about to lovingly carress the side of her face... she pushed him out, and he'd tripped on the edge, landing not-so-gracefully on the surrounding grass.

She placed one hand on her hip, smiling down at him as the wind, carrying the uproarious applause from the audience, played with her ponytail. "Gomen ne, koibito..." she apologized, not a hint of remorse in her voice.

"Wench!" he roared, to everyone's delight. His hands began to glow purple, but she only smiled. He was obviously being too nice to her.

"What was it that you said...? Hm... 'All's fair in love and war'?" she quoted him, using her other hand to tap at her chin. "Want me to help you up?" she offered her hand to him, and he shook his head.

"So you can push me out again? I'm not THAT whipped," he retorted, standing and brushing off his signature red leather pants.

She hopped back, smiling brightly, and assumed her stance once more.

The referee called the third and final round to a start, and this time, Iori was not going to hold back.

Unfortunately, he hadn't realized that giving Kasumi the Magatama no Yasakani for safe-keeping (to avoid another Ash incident) would prevent him from being able to use the Yagami flames against her. Every time he tried, they died out and she wasn't even singed. The heat from the indigo fire only made her face glow, giving it a healthy and beautiful flush.

He landed a few decisive blows, but most were reversed, resulting in painful throws thanks to her training-since-birth in her family's complex Kobujutsu style.

The battle ended with a bang; Iori managed to escape one of her throws and begin the painful string of attacks titled, 'Maiden Masher'. It seemed to be the end for little Kasumi... until she found an opening and launched her counter-attack: a wave of bright white claws, constructed of pure battle energy, and at least 7 feet high. It knocked him back...

and to their surprise, they both landed just outside the ring.

It was a tie.

Kasumi was on her feet instantly, marching over to him and rolling up her sleeves, looking none-too-happy about tying with him. She pointed to him again. "You... you held back!" she accused.

Well, he wasn't going to lie. That might actually get him into trouble. "Hn... at first..." he began.

"How could you?!" she shouted, her fists clenching.

"I didn't want to hu--" he began again, but she managed to sock him across the face, despite their height difference. "Damn it, woman!" he swore at her, rubbing the side of his face.

"Jerk!" she yelled, causing King, Malin, Chizuru and Kyo to rush over to them, creating a small circle, and attracting yet more attention.

Kyo and Chizuru were smirking and muffling their chuckles. Malin and King looked concerned, for good reason... they didn't want to see all of their hard work go to waste.

"You want me to beat you up?" he asked her, punching her back. Kasumi reeled, and Iori's other cheek was soon introduced to the heel of King's fine French leather shoe.

"Ah... King. Let's go find Mai, shall we? I've been meaning to catch up with her..." Chizuru said, intervening and taking King's arm, leading the bartender away. Malin giggled.

"Get lost, pipsqueak. Go find Kisaragi and start another 'We Lost To A Sakazaki' club," Iori growled.

"Why I oughtta--" Malin began, drawing out of a cattleprodder from some hidden pocket.

"Hey, Malin... I think Shingo wants to talk to you. Something about custom butterfly knives and ice cream..." Kyo said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Kasumi blinked for a moment. "But Shingo's lac--" she began, but Iori clamped a hand over her mouth.

Malin's eyes lit up and she skipped off to find Kyo's annoying student.

"And I..." the Kusanagi heir brushed his hair out of his eyes, "have better things to do that play party to your relationship troubles. See ya," he said, sauntering off.

"So..." Iori began.

"So."

"I think I'm just going to throw you over my shoulder and drag you back to the hotel," he said.

"Oh, no you are no-- WOAH!" she said, then began to slam her fists onto his back, as he had picked her up. "Guess where you're sleeping tonight!" she began to taunt.

"In the bed that I'm paying for?" he guessed.

"No! On the couch that you're paying for!" she retorted hotly.

"Hn... it seems to me that I can pick you up quite easily. I think that if you don't shut up, you'll be sleeping on the couch that I'm paying for," he replied smoothly, grinning as she settled down.

"You... you wouldn't, Iori..." she said, giving a weak smile.

"Or you could sleep out in the hallway that I'm not paying for," he added, feeling her tense up. "Now, are you going to be a good girl... or am I going to have to punish you, Kasumi-chan?" he asked, his voice deep and husky.

She tapped her chin again. "Well, I just don't know. What sounds fun to you, Yagami-san?" she asked, grinning slyly.

"Do not tempt me, woman."

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There. Random Iori/Kasumi oneshot. Written while talking to Bridget-chan. Hope you enjoyed it. I think I'm going to go eat some TastyKakes and then go to bed, because I have to work tomorrow. Woot, work. Money. No time to write. Oh well.

Review, please! Flames shalt be stolen by the wonderfully flamboyant and adorably klepto Ash Crimson.


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